• “Coach might cut my playing time now.”

• “I’m letting my teammates down.”

• “I have to make the next shot, otherwise we could lose this game and not make playoffs”

• “This ref hates me!”

• “He calls everything on me and completely misses the same calls on the other end!”

This is an example that demonstrates an athlete’s stream of consciousness while
struggling with negative thinking and performance pressure. As an athlete there is a large
focus on physical factors, and understandably so. However, mental and emotional
processes play a critical role in performance, influencing the likelihood of either success
or failure.

Sport and performance psychology could help this athlete navigate stressors more
effectively with three of the following strategies inspired by Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (CBT):

Positive Reframing:
This is not to be confused with toxic positivity (“That didn’t matter. You’re fine.”) which
ignores life’s challenges. There are two important parts of positive reframing, first,
validating your challenges (frustration with missing shots). Second, is applying a ‘glass
half full’ perspective. How to use positive reframing to address one of the automatic
negative thoughts from the example above: “I am frustrated about that missed shot and I
got the next one! Nice and smooth”.

Process Focused versus Outcome Focused:
Being process oriented helps athletes to be mindful and truly focused on the task at hand
(shooting a shot or running a play). Being focused on the outcome is thinking about a
made or missed shot or winning or losing a game. Being process oriented is helping pull
an individual’s focus to the here and now and building small actions or tasks towards an
outcome. If an athlete is worried about winning or losing they are distracted from what is
happening right in front of them.

Focus on What is in Your Control:
During games, matches, or competitions there are many factors outside of an athlete’s
control that can easily influence their thoughts and emotions (missed calls by referees,
rude fans, or inclement weather). By focusing on things in an athlete’s control can assist
with regulating emotions, building confidence, and letting go of uncontrollables.
Overall, sport psychology views athletes as multidimensional people. Athletic
performance not only requires physical training (they are not just a body), but also
intentional development of mental and emotional skills. While these strategies take time,
effort, and consistency to implement initially, they can be beneficial towards an athlete’s
performance in the long-term.
Please feel free to reach out if you believe you would benefit from the expertise of a
psychologist that specializes in sports and performance to assist you in enhancing your
mental and physical capabilities.

Kayla Kovach, Ph.D.
Post-doctoral Psychology Fellow
8224 Mentor Ave #208 Mentor OH 44060
P: 440 392 2222 #302 F: 440 565 2349
kkovach@behavioralwellnessgroup.com
www.behavioralwellnessgroup.com

Supervisor: John A. Glovan, Psy.D.
Phone: 440-392-2222 #302 Fax: 440-565-2349
jglovan@behavioralwellnessgroup.com

The post Sport Psychology on Negative Thinking and Performance Pressure appeared first on Behavioral Wellness Group.

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• Smell
• Taste
• Hear
• Feel
• See

As you are focusing on the moment you will also want to be aware of your:

• Thoughts
• Emotions
• Actions
• Physical Sensations

It is important not to judge yourself or your experience, but simply acknowledge thoughts and feelings as they arise, let them go, and refocus on your five senses.
Benefits of mindfulness include:

• Decreased anxiety
• Decreased depression
• Decreased stress
• Decreased pain levels
• Improved sleep

Mindfulness is a skill that can be strengthened with consistent practice. Think of mindfulness as going to lift weights at a gym. On your very first day you would not expect yourself to be able to lift 100-pound dumbbells. You might have to start lifting with 2.5-pound dumbbells. You would not expect to go in the next day and lift 100 pounds either, you would expect to build up to 5 pounds the nextweek and maybe 10 pounds the week after. You would expect to be sore and tired along this journey to lifting 100 pounds.

Mindfulness follows a similar process. Setting small goals of practicing, for example, 30-60 seconds daily for a week is a good starting point and building block. There will be times when it is more difficult, because it is a different way of focusing and training your brain. With practice you will be able to increase the length of time you are mindfully able to stay focused on a task and the more automatic it will become.

You can use mindfulness in different contexts and activities, it does not have to be sitting cross legged in a yoga studio saying “Om” (although it can include that too!). Try practicing being mindful during the following activities:

• Showering
• Eating
• Walking
• Artwork
• Homework

In conclusion, mindfulness can be a useful skill or tool to help you regulate your emotions and improve overall wellness. Anyone can do it, in any environment. Please consider some of the above suggestions. If you are struggling with anxiety, depression, emotion regulation, stress, sleep, or chronic pain issues consider reaching out to us at The Behavioral Wellness Group.

Kayla Walter, LPC, CDCA
Pre-Doctoral Psychology Trainee
The Behavioral Wellness Group

The post Mindfulness- What is it? appeared first on Behavioral Wellness Group.